


Office Kitty

by NYWCgirl



Series: Soft Kitty verse [22]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Office
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 14:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3573527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Neal would transform in the office?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Office Kitty

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on December 5th 2014.

“OK, tell me what happened.”

“ What do you mean?” Peter asked with an innocent face.

“Come on peter, don´t hold out on me. I know I transformed.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, tell me, what happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“Let me think…”

“Think harder.”

“The last thing I remember is walking into the office with you.”

“That is about correct.” Peter acknowledged.  
It dawned on Neal.

“Did anyone see?”

“No, luckily, we were alone when it happened.”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

“Well, the Harvard crew wants to adopt you as the White Collar mascot.”

“You did tell them that was impossible, did you?”

“Of course, I told them you were a gift for El.”

“Good thinking, they bought that?”

“Yep, and you were the talk of the day.”

* * *

Peter smiled thinking, Neal and Peter went to the office early, as they wanted to get a head start in their current case. They had just entered the office when Neal transformed. Peter quickly hid Neal´s clothing and put the tracker in his desk drawer. He had just picked up Neal when Diana and Jones exited the elevator. Jones immediately spotted the little bundle of fur in Peter´s hands.

“Hey boss, where did you find this little guy?” He took him out of Peter´s hand and started petting him. Neal closed his eyes and started purring loudly.

“He´s cute. Oh Diana, did you see what Peter brought in?” Jones walked over to Diana, who had sat down at her desk. She petted Neal on the head and looked meaningful to Peter.

After a while, Neal got fed up and squirmed out of Jones´s hands and strolled between the desks in the bullpen. He basked in the attention of the agents who were working at their desks watching Neal parade through the office.

Suddenly Jones tossed a wad of paper to Neal, who immediately attacked it as if his life depended on it. When Neal caught Jones laughing, he pretended nothing had happened and started grooming himself.

One moment he was sitting and licking himself, the next, he was off, seeing something move. He approached it with caution, his belly almost touching the floor, tale slowly going from right to left in upper concentration. He inched closer and… attacked the probie´s shoelace that had gotten untied. The probie yelped when he felt something on his foot, not realizing Neal had been laying in an ambush.

Peter came out of his office to see what all the commotion was about, but by now, Neal was chasing after one of the techs back arched and tail high, so Peter decided that enough was enough. He picked Neal up and walked back to his office, where he placed Neal on one of the chairs and pushed him down until he lay still.

“Stay put, some of us have to work.”

Neal started clawing at the hand that held him down, biting, not in earnest, just playful, but still, Peter´s hand soon showed little red markings where Neal´s little claws and teeth had nicked his skin. Peter told him off, giving him a quick tap on his head.

Soon, Neal was dozing off, twitching in his sleep. Peter thought it was cute. ´Get a grip Burke, concentrate.´

Peter read some emails and when he looked up, Neal was fast asleep on his FBI windbreaker, Peter had left on the chair.

Peter was relieved, with Neal sleeping, he could do some work, not realizing they call it cat naps for a reason. Within 10 minutes, Neal was up and running again. He jumped on Peter´s desk, grooming himself, casing the place. He found an origami crane on Peter´s desk and started playing with it, but he got bored quickly, so he stalked the card board box, the FBI had introduced to collect waste paper. He assumed his hunting pose and then jumped in the box with four paws at the same time. He stayed hidden in the box, Peter assuming he fell asleep again, so Peter left his office to get a coffee refill. When he came back in he found Neal sleeping on his keyboard. Only Neal would be able to find the most inconvenient place to fall asleep.

Peter took a seat at his desk and read through his latest case file. Eventually Neal woke up, yawing, stretching and finally grooming himself, again.

Peter had been watching Neal in amazement, and then saw that it was already way past lunch time. He called Jones into his office, asking if he could bring back a sandwich and something to eat for Neal. He explained that he couldn´t leave Neal alone in the office.

Jones looked at him and asked “And how is the kitten going to poop and pee, without soiling your carpet?” 

“I didn´t think of that, good point, what do you suggest?”

“There is a pet store on Mott Street. I can pick up a leash?”

“Good thinking, we will join you, so we can walk him during our lunchtime.”

“Where is Neal by the way, he would get a kick out of walking a kitten.”

“He is helping out the techs at the anti terrorist unit.”

Peter picked Neal up and they left the FBI building. When they arrived at the pet store, Peter looked uncomfortable, having to collar Neal, but it was their best option at the moment. Jones located a small harness, it would secure the kitten better than a collar alone, a leash and some kitten kibble.

Peter quickly paid for the items as Neal started to squirm in his arms. Jones fastened the harness around Neal, while Peter held him. He snicked the leash fast and left the store, not a minute too soon, as Neal immediately squatted down in the first bit of dirt. They walked back stopping at The greatest cake for some Danish. Now that Neal was wearing a harness with a little bell, Jones convinced Peter to let Neal roam the office, they would be able to locate him by the sound. Peter reluctantly agreed and Neal seemed to enjoy his new earned freedom. 

The first ten minutes he tried to get rid of the harness and as he did it in the middle of the bullpen, he didn´t lack attention. Neal didn´t noticed all the clicks of the smartphones snapping pictures, the oowing and the awing.

When Peter realized none of his agents were working, he left his office to see what got their attention. He slowly walked down the stairs towards Neal and just before he was able to grab him, Neal ran off, hiding behind a desk, waiting for Peter to get him and then taking off again. It continued until Neal´s rubber ball was tossed to him and all of Neal´s attention was on the ball. 

Peter grabbed Neal and the ball and straightened up to see it was Hughes who had tossed the ball.

“How did the cat get here? Care to explain?”

“Sorry Reese, I picked him up at the shelter as a gift for El and I didn´t bring a carrier.”

“Well, get back to work everybody. Show´s over.”

All the agents scattered back to their desks. Peter taking Neal back to his office, attaching the lease again and fastening it to his desk.

Neal made a show of glaring at Peter that he was restrained, tangling himself in the leash, but eventually, he fell asleep again, curled up under Peter´s desk.  
Finally, it was five o´clock and Peter called it a night. He grabbed Neal´s leash and left the office, getting in the elevator. When the door opened on the next floor, Peter saw it was Ruiz entering the car.

“What´s the matter, Burke, your Chihuahua sick?” he snickered at his own joke.

Neal started hissing at Ruiz, but Peter petted him and kept his mouth shut.

Finally they reached the parking garage and Peter put Neal in the back seat, attaching the leash to the seatbelt. He couldn´t get back home soon enough and leave this day behind him.  
Once home, Neal settled down quickly by Satchmo´s side and Peter decided to prepare dinner, so El could take it easy when she came home.

He couldn´t wait to show some of the pictures he had taken from Neal at the office.


End file.
